Switchgrass could replace corn as ethanol source, with benefits both economic and environmental

"Scientists now say that biofuel grasses have the potential to replace corn-based ethanol in a way that is both environmentally and economically beneficial," Colorado State University reports, on a study by researchers at the school and the University of Illinois.

Raising switchgrass on land now used to grow corn for ethanol "could result in an increase in ethanol production, a reduction in nitrogen leaching into the Gulf of Mexico, and a reduction in greenhouse gas emission caused from the Corn Belt," the CSU news release said. "The research shows that, by replacing corn ethanol, perennial grasses could increase the productivity of food and fuel within the region without causing additional indirect land use change."

The study appears in Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment.